1 Then the men of Ephraim said to him, “AJudg 12:1What is this thing you have done to us, not calling us when you went to fight against Midian?” And they contended with him vigorously. 2 But he said to them, “What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer? 3  “God has given the leaders of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb into your hands; and what was I able to do in comparison with you?” Then their 1Lit spiritanger toward him subsided when he said 2Lit this thingthat.

4 Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came AJudg 7:25to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. 5 He said to the men of AGen 33:17Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” 6 The leaders of Succoth said, “1Lit Is the palmAJudg 8:15Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” 7 Gideon said, “1Lit For thusAll right, AJudg 7:15when the Loʀᴅ has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will 2Or tramplethrash your 3Lit fleshbodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” 8 He went up from there to 1In Gen 32:30, PenielAGen 32:31Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. 9 So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, AJudg 8:17I will tear down this tower.”

10 Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their 1Or campsarmies with them, about 15,000 men, all who were left of the entire 2Or camparmy of the sons of the east; AJudg 6:5; 7:12; Is 9:4for the fallen were 120,000 3Lit men who drew swordswordsmen. 11 Gideon went up by the way of those who lived in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and 1Lit smoteattacked the camp when the camp was 2Or secureunsuspecting. 12 When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them and captured the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole 1Or camparmy.

13 Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from the battle 1Or fromby the ascent of Heres. 14 And he captured a youth 1Lit of the men offrom Succoth and questioned him. Then the youth wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men. 15 He came to the men of Succoth and said, “Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, concerning whom you taunted me, saying, ‘1Lit Is the palmAJudg 8:6Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hand, that we should give bread to your men who are weary?’ ” 16 He took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and he 1Lit made the men...to knowdisciplined the men of Succoth with them. 17 AJudg 8:9He tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.

18 Then he said to Zebah and Zalmunna, “What kind of men were they whom you killed at Tabor?” And they said, “They were like you, each one 1Lit like the form of the sonsresembling the son of a king.” 19 He said, “They were my brothers, the sons of my mother. As the Loʀᴅ lives, if only you had let them live, I would not kill you.” 20 So he said to Jether his firstborn, “Rise, kill them.” But the youth did not draw his sword, for he was afraid, because he was still a youth. 21 Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, “Rise up yourself, and fall on us; for as the man, so is his strength.” APs 83:11So Gideon arose and killed Zebah and Zalmunna, and BJudg 8:26took the crescent ornaments which were on their camels’ necks.

22 Then the men of Israel said to Gideon, “Rule over us, both you and your son, also your son’s son, for you have delivered us from the hand of Midian.” 23 But Gideon said to them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you; A1 Sam 8:7; 10:19; 12:12; Ps 10:16the Loʀᴅ shall rule over you.” 24 Yet Gideon said to them, “I would 1Lit request a requestrequest of you, that each of you give me 2Or a nose ringan earring from his spoil.” (For they had gold earrings, because they were AGen 25:13-16Ishmaelites.) 25 They said, “We will surely give them.” So they spread out a garment, and every one of them threw an earring there from his spoil. 26 The weight of the gold earrings that he requested was 1,700 shekels of gold, besides the crescent ornaments and the pendants and the purple robes which were on the kings of Midian, and besides the neck bands that were on their camels’ necks. 27 Gideon made it into AEx 28:6-35; Judg 17:5; 18:14-20an ephod, and placed it in his city, Ophrah, and all Israel played the harlot with it there, so that it became a snare to Gideon and his household.

28 So Midian was subdued before the sons of Israel, and they did not lift up their heads anymore. And the land was undisturbed for forty years in the days of Gideon.

29 Then AJudg 7:1Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and lived in his own house. 30 Now Gideon had AJudg 9:2, 5seventy sons who 1Lit came from his loinswere his direct descendants, for he had many wives. 31 His concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he 1Lit appointed his namenamed him Abimelech. 32 And Gideon the son of Joash died at a ripe old age and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash, in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

33 Then it came about, as soon as Gideon was dead, AJudg 2:11, 12that the sons of Israel again played the harlot with the Baals, and made BJudg 9:4, 27, 46Baal-berith their god. 34 Thus the sons of Israel ADeut 4:9; Judg 3:7did not remember the Loʀᴅ their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side; 35 AJudg 9:16-18nor did they show kindness to the household of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in accord with all the good that he had done to Israel.